Posted tagged ‘Lesson plan’

Are you looking for ideas for the last days of school, a summer gift for your students, and a way to support students and families in sustaining reading and writing progress over the summer? Our Summer Reading and Writing Journalwill help students set goals for summer reading and writing during the last days of school. Summer Reading and Writing Journal works great for a summer reading class, too. This product includes:

D is for a Decision Making Process. As adults, are there not those times that a decision making process would make your life easier? And, if adults could benefit from a decision making process, then middle and high school students certainly can benefit. This particular product came out of one of our novel studies. Jennifer developed it into an independent process that easily fits in with social studies or literature units. It’s easy to implement and students seem to really engage with it. So, try it out for yourself or your students. Our favorite comment from a teacher who bought this products is:

…moreI decided to download this grid and it was the best decision in my entire life! (11/6/14)…

Now, should I continue working or go watch Netflix? Should I make popcorn or just have some mixed nuts? Should I buy the Porsche or Mercedes???

Quote of the Week: All children could and should be inventors of their own theories, critics of other people’s ideas, analyzers of evidence, and makers of their own personal marks on this most complex world. Deborah Meier

For those of you who are familiar with the Hunger Games, you will remember it certainly wasn’t a society that protected its children. Thinking about our own society, how well do we protect our children—not just physically but their emotional and mental wellbeing? Today, adults are debating gun control and the Second Amendment, which should be debated. As those conversations are occurring, adults are not always cognizant that there are children listening and watching. They’re watching television images of teachers learning how to use guns and how to defend themselves. They’re watching movies and programs about terrorism, horrific crimes, and violence. They overhear media, regardless of parental advisories that what follows may not be suitable for children, and it’s out there before it’s possible to click a program off. There is little to no separation between what is appropriate for children and what is geared for adult listening and watching. To what extent are we, as a society, willing to protect children from losing their innocence about life sooner than they should?

Perhaps reading and discussing books like The Hunger Games give adults opportunities to prepare children for the darker side of society. If we’re not willing to redefine individual freedom—where does one’s freedom and rights begin and end, then we need to give children the critical thinking skills they need to navigate the very complex society in which we live.

As we continue to develop lesson plans for The Hunger Games, we are attempting to provide students with opportunities to develop and use critical thinking skills to have those meaningful discussions that just may help them understand the world in which we all live.